Adhesive bandage

ABSTRACT

An improved adhesive bandage is disclosed. The adhesive bandage includes a rectangular portion of backing sheet material defining a forward and a rear side, pressure-sensitive adhesive on the forward side, separated by a rectangular portion of dressing material attached to a central area, and two rectangular portions of release paper each removably attached to either the forward or rear side of the adhesive bandage. The adhesive bandage also includes four tabs for the removal of the release paper, placed at the midpoints on either side of the adhesive bandage.

CROSS REFERENCES RELATED TO APPLICATION

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates to the field medicine and more specificallyrelates to bandages and dressing for wound care.

BACKGROUND

The treatment of wounds, scrapes, and cuts typically involves the use ofbandages with an exposed adhesive area for the purposes of creating abond to the undamaged area of the skin, holding the bandage in placeover the opening of the wound. The process of placing these conventionaladhesive bandages presents various problems that diminish theeffectiveness of the wound care. One of the drawbacks associated withthe use of conventional adhesive bandages is that they are unwieldy touse, a characteristic that often leads to difficulties placing theadhesive bandage or misplacement thereof. Another drawback involves theamount of direct contact between the hands of the applicant of thebandage and either the adhesive portion of the bandage or the bandageitself. This contact creates various problems, most notably the transferof unhealthy bacteria to the adhesive bandage and ultimately to the openwound. In certain cases, it may also cause the adhesive portion to losesome of its adhesive characteristics, resulting in the bandage notadequately adhering to the skin and thereby leaving the woundsusceptible to further contamination. Other contamination issues arisewith regards to the use of release paper, also known as release liner,on the adhesive bandages. The exposed nature of this aspect of theconventional adhesive bandage also leaves it vulnerable to beingcompromised by bacteria, again undesirably exposing the applicant'swound.

Due to the aforementioned shortcomings exhibited by the prior art, aneed exists for improvements thereof, and particularly for an improvedmethod of protecting the integrity of adhesive bandage devices used inthe administration of wound care.

SUMMARY

An adhesive bandage is provided. This Summary is provided to introduce aselection of disclosed concepts in a simplified form that are furtherdescribed below in the Detailed Description including the drawingsprovided. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this Summaryintended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter's scope.

In one embodiment, the adhesive bandage includes a rectangular portionof backing sheet material defining a forward and a read side,pressure-sensitive adhesive deposited on the forward side of the backingsheet material, a rectangular portion of dressing material attached to acentral area of the forward side of the backing sheet material such thatthe adhesive on the backing sheet material is exposed to the releasepaper on sides of the dressing material, a first rectangular portion ofrelease paper removably attached to the forward side and rear side ofthe backing sheet material such that said first rectangular portion ofrelease paper extends continuously from the midpoint of the dressingmaterial to the left side of the dressing material and to the rear sideof the backing sheet material, a first folded tab located at a midpointof the dressing material on the first rectangular portion of the releasepaper, a second folded tab located at the midpoint of the rear side ofthe backing sheet material on the first rectangular portion of releasepaper, a second rectangular portion of release paper removably attachedto the forward side and rear side of the backing sheet material suchthat said second rectangular portion of release paper extendscontinuously from the midpoint of the dressing material to the left sideof the dressing material and to the rear side of the backing sheetmaterial, a third folded tab located at midpoint of the dressing on thesecond rectangular portion of release paper, and a fourth folded tablocated at midpoint of the rear side of the backing sheet material onthe second rectangular portion of release paper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this disclosure, illustrate various example embodiments. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the adhesive bandage and the correspondingrelease paper, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the adhesive bandage inside of itsrelease paper, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the adhesive bandage with its releasepaper removed from the adhesive surface, according to an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates the initial stage of the application of an adhesivebandage, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates the secondary stage of the application of an adhesivebandage, according to an example embodiment; and

FIG. 6 illustrates the final stage of the application of an adhesivebandage, according to an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings.Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawingsand the following description to refer to the same or similar elements.While embodiments may be described, modifications, adaptations, andother implementations are possible. For example, substitutions,additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated inthe drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified bysubstituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods.Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit theclaimed subject matter. Instead, the proper scope of the claimed subjectmatter is defined by the appended claims.

The claimed subject matter improves over the prior art by providing asimple, easily applied adhesive bandage configured for self-applicationor application by a third-party. The claimed subject matter improvesupon the effectiveness of wound care administered through the use of anadhesive bandage by reducing the contact between the dressing of thebandage and non-sterile surfaces, including the hands of the user. Theclaimed subject matter further improves over the prior art by providingdisposable release paper that is handled while applying the bandage, asopposed to allowing handling of the bandage itself.

The claimed subject matter improves over the prior art by utilizingrelease paper, or liner paper, to cover all surfaces of the adhesivebandage. This enables a more controlled user experience and reduces orprevents any direct contact with the dressing material or backingmaterial of the adhesive bandage. The claimed subject matter alsoincludes four tabs, two on either side of the adhesive bandage, whichfurther facilitates the appropriate use and placement of the bandagewhile reducing the frequency of contact between the applicator andsterile areas of the adhesive bandage, reducing incidents of infection.The claimed subject matter also protects the integrity of the adhesiveportion of the bandage similarly through the placement of the releasepaper, which protects the adhesive portion thoroughly until it makescontact with the undamaged skin surrounding the wound site.

Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating anexploded view of the adhesive bandage 100, according to an exampleembodiment. FIG. 1 shows that the adhesive bandage 100 includes arectangular portion of backing sheet material 104, which defines aforward and rear side of the adhesive bandage, wherein the rectangularbacking portion is divided by a rectangular portion of dressing material102. The backing material 104 is coated on the forward side (viewed inFIG. 1) with pressure-sensitive adhesive on either side of the dressingmaterial 102. The rear side of the backing material is not viewable inFIG. 1.

The backing sheet material 104 of the adhesive bandage 100 may becomposed of any moisture permeable synthetic material. The backing sheetmaterial may also be composed of plastic, including polyethylene,polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride. Another alternative that may beused for the backing sheet material is latex.

The dressing material 102 of the adhesive bandage 100 may be composed offoam or cotton, with the foam or cotton lined by a porous-polymercoating to prevent the dressing material from adhering to the wound. Thedressing material may be sterile, or it may be antiseptic.

FIG. 1 also depicts a pair of rectangular portions of release paper 110and 120 that may be removably attached to the forward and rear sides ofthe adhesive bandage, with the release paper designed in a manner toproduce four folded tabs 112, 114, 122, and 124. The release papers 110and 120 may be composed of natural or synthetic paper, coated with arelease agent. Alternatively, the release papers may be composed of aplastic liner. Folded tabs 112, 114, 122, and 124 are designed in such away that they facilitate the application of the adhesive bandage 100 toa wound site 602 in a manner that significantly limits the potential fordirect contact from non-sterile surfaces with the adhesive bandage. Thebacking sheet material, dressing material, release paper and tabs may berectangular, square, circular, triangular, or any other geometric shape.

FIG. 2 is a drawing depicting the adhesive bandage 100 of FIG. 1,constructed to show the positioning of the release papers 110 and 120.The release papers are designed to cover the backing sheet material 104on both sides, as well as the dressing material 102. The release papersmeet at the midpoint of the forward side of the adhesive bandage, fullycovering the forward side portions of the backing sheet material as wellas the dressing material. On the rear side, the release papers extend totheir respective sides of the portion of the backing sheet where, on theforward side, the dressing material is embedded. Note that release paper110 (like paper 120) is one continuous piece of paper that extends fromthe midpoint of the forward sides of the adhesive bandage to the rearside of the adhesive bandage.

FIG. 3 is a drawing depicting a perspective view of the adhesive bandage100, showing release papers 110 and 120 partially removed to expose theforward side of the backing sheet material 104 and the dressing material102, which the user will adhere to a wound site 602. FIG. 3 shows thefirst step in applying the adhesive bandage to a wound site, i.e.,exposing the dressing material for application to the wound site. Notethat in the first step, it is not necessary that any portion of theadhesive bandage, other than the release paper, is touched by the personapplying the bandage.

FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating the first step 400 of the applicationprocess when applying the adhesive bandage 100. The left hand, or firsthand, 402 of the user is shown pinching the first folded tab 112 on thefirst rectangular portion of release paper 110. Similarly, the righthand, or second hand, 404 is shown pinching the third folded tab 122 onthe second rectangular portion of release paper 120. The user then pullson folded tabs 112 and 122 as shown in FIG. 5. Note that in the firststep, no portion of the adhesive bandage, other than the release paper,was touched by the person applying the bandage.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the second step 500 of the applicationprocess when applying the adhesive bandage 100. In FIG. 5, the user isshown using the first hand 402 and the second hand 404 to separate theforward side portion of the respective release papers 110 and 120 in anoutward direction, exposing the forward side of the backing sheetmaterial 104, thereby facilitating the placement of the adhesive bandageover the wound site 602 as shown in FIG. 6. In this step, the personapplying the bandage may pull outwardly on the release papers 110 and120 to stretch the bandage before application to the wound site. Notethat in the second step, no portion of the adhesive bandage, other thanthe release paper, was touched by the person applying the bandage.

FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the final stage 600 of the applicationprocess when applying the adhesive bandage 100. In FIG. 6 the adhesivebandage 100 has been placed to cover the wound site 602, with theforward side of the backing sheet material, which contains the pressuresensitive adhesive and the dressing material 102, in contact with theundamaged skin. FIG. 6 further shows the release papers 110 and 120fully removed from the adhesive bandage. Note that in the final stage,no portion of the adhesive bandage, other than the release paper, wastouched by the person applying the bandage.

What is claimed is:
 1. An adhesive bandage comprising: (a) a portion ofbacking sheet material defining a forward side and a rear side; (b)pressure-sensitive adhesive deposited on the forward side of the backingsheet material; (c) a portion of dressing material attached to a centralarea of the forward side of the backing sheet material such thatadhesive on the backing sheet material is exposed on sides of thedressing material; (d) a first portion of release paper removablyattached to the forward side and rear side of the backing sheet materialsuch that said first portion of release paper extends continuously fromthe dressing material to the right side of the dressing material and tothe rear side of the backing sheet material; (g) a second portion ofrelease paper removably attached to the forward side and rear side ofthe backing sheet material such that said second portion of releasepaper extends continuously from the dressing material to the left sideof the dressing material and to the rear side of the backing sheetmaterial;
 2. An adhesive bandage as recited in claim 1, wherein thebacking sheet material is a woven fabric material sufficientlybreathable as to render it moisture permeable.
 3. An adhesive bandage asrecited in claim 1, wherein the dressing material has been sterilizedand/or is antiseptic.
 4. An adhesive bandage as recited in claim 1,wherein the portion of backing sheet material is rectangular, square,circular, triangular, or any other geometric shape.
 5. An adhesivebandage as recited in claim 1, wherein the portion of dressing materialis rectangular, square, circular, triangular, or any other geometricshape.
 6. An adhesive bandage as recited in claim 1, wherein the firstportion of release paper is rectangular, square, circular, triangular,or any other geometric shape.
 7. An adhesive bandage as recited in claim1, wherein the second portion of release paper is rectangular, square,circular, triangular, or any other geometric shape.
 8. An adhesivebandage as recited in claim 1, further comprising a first folded tab onthe first portion of release paper, the first folded tab located at amidpoint of the dressing material, and a second folded tab on the firstportion of release paper, the second folded tab located at a midpoint ofthe rear side of the backing sheet material.
 9. An adhesive bandage asrecited in claim 1, further comprising a third folded tab on the secondportion of release paper, the third folded tab located at a midpoint ofthe dressing material, and a fourth folded tab on the second portion ofrelease paper, the fourth folded tab located at a midpoint of the rearside of the backing sheet material.
 10. An adhesive bandage as recitedin claim 1, wherein all folded tabs are folded backwards, towards theirrespective release papers to reduce direct contact with the backingsheet material, dressing material, and adhesive portion.
 11. An adhesivebandage comprising: (a) a rectangular portion of backing sheet materialdefining a forward side and a rear side, the backing sheet materialcomposed of a moisture permeable material; (b) pressure-sensitiveadhesive deposited on the forward side of the backing sheet material;(c) a rectangular portion of dressing material attached to a centralarea of the forward side of the backing sheet material such thatadhesive on the backing sheet material is exposed on a left side and aright side of the dressing material, wherein the dressing materialcomprising cotton lined with a porous-polymer coating; (d) a firstrectangular portion of release paper removably attached to the forwardside and rear side of the backing sheet material such that said firstrectangular portion of release paper extends continuously from amidpoint of the dressing material to the right side of the dressingmaterial and to the rear side of the backing sheet material; (e) a firstfolded tab on the first rectangular portion of release paper, the firstfolded tab located at midpoint of the dressing material; (f) a secondfolded tab on the first rectangular portion of release paper, the secondfolded tab located at midpoint of the rear side of the backing sheetmaterial; (g) a second rectangular portion of release paper removablyattached to the forward side and rear side of the backing sheet materialsuch that said second rectangular portion of release paper extendscontinuously from a midpoint of the dressing material to the left sideof the dressing material and to the rear side of the backing sheetmaterial; (h) a third folded tab on the second rectangular portion ofrelease paper, the third folded tab located at midpoint of the dressingmaterial; (i) a fourth folded tab on the second rectangular portion ofrelease paper, the fourth folded tab located at midpoint of the rearside of the backing sheet material.
 12. An adhesive bandage as recitedin claim 11, wherein the backing sheet material is a woven fabricmaterial sufficiently breathable as to render it moisture permeable. 13.An adhesive bandage as recited in claim 11, wherein the dressingmaterial has been sterilized and/or is antiseptic.
 14. An adhesivebandage as recited in claim 11, wherein all folded tabs are foldedbackwards, towards their respective release papers to reduce directcontact with the backing sheet material, dressing material, and adhesiveportion.